This invention relates generally to refrigerators, and more specifically, to controlling humidity in a refrigerator fresh food compartment.
At least some known refrigerators regulate the temperature of the fresh food compartment by opening and closing a damper established in flow communication with a freezer compartment, and by operating a fan to draw cold freezer compartment air into the fresh food compartment as needed to maintain a desired temperature in the fresh food compartment. The temperature of the evaporator surface in the freezer compartment is typically much lower than the air temperature in the fresh food compartment. This drives moisture from the fresh food compartment to the freezer compartment where it mostly freezes on the evaporator surface. This reduces the relative humidity in the fresh food compartment. Relative air humidity in the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator has a high influence on the fresh food quality. Deterioration of some foods such as vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, bread, and the like in a low humidity environment is rapid and irreversible.
As is well known with humidors, freshness of items that are stored at room temperatures is readily accomplished merely by sealing a storage container to prevent the entry of air. This is not effective, however, in a refrigerated environment where temperatures are maintained well below a normal room temperature of, for instance, 70 degrees. In known refrigerators, maintaining fresh food quality is a challenge. While covered crisper pans and meat storage pans are typically provided in the fresh food compartment to retard the drying out of items placed therein, there is no provision for controlling the relative humidity of the remainder of the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator.